How old is your dog… in human years?

Dogs mature a lot faster than humans do early on, so the first few months or so of your furry friend's life is the equivalent of several human years. In order to determine the age of your dog in “human years," just multiply its actual age by seven.

It's the age-old “seven years theory," and although it may not be entirely true – the most accurate  formula asks owners to subtract two from their dog's age, multiply that number by four and then add 21 – the idea has merit.

Counting Up the Age of Your Mattress

So, what about your mattress? It's no secret that a mattress is a long-term financial decision representative of a long-term, committed relationship – not unlike the union formed between you and your pet. And although your relationship with your mattress is among your most cherished, the reality is you won't be together forever.

We all know the golden rule: Replace Every 8 — if the tag is dated eight years back, it's time to replace your mattress. But the tag on your mattress is just a time stamp. Like dogs, no two mattresses are the same, and no two owners are the same, either.

How Old is Your Bed?

So, with all of that in mind, how old is your mattress,  really?

Let's say your mattress' tag dates back to January of 2014. According to the ever-so-serious “eight years' theory," you'd take your mattresses actual age of three and multiply it by eight. In this example, your mattress would currently be 24 years old in human years. It's no quarter-life crisis — hopefully your mattress has many good years left.

But, if your mattress is 8 or more years old, it's probably had a long and fulfilling career and is ready for a well-deserved retirement.

Go ahead and use the formula below to calculate the true age of your mattress:

(CURRENT YEAR – YEAR ON MATTRESS TAG) x 8 = MATTRESS AGE IN HUMAN YEARS

Age is Just a Number

Some of you might be saying, “ But my mattress looks and feels as good as new!" Don't fret – after all, age is just a number! If your mattress is dirty, Mattress Firm has some tips for cleaning it. Some mattresses are in worse shape than they look, while others are in better shape than they probably should be. Our point is simply to help you think through the life cycle of your bed and consider replacing a worn-out mattress to improve your sleep.

Likewise, you don't have to wait 8 years to break up with your mattress. “Replace Every 8" should be your guiding principle, not your blanket approach. If you're waking up feeling tired and sore in the morning, if you're finding it increasingly more difficult to get comfortable at night, if you spend more time sneezing in bed than you do snoozing in bed or if you find yourself feeling “just as comfortable" on the couch or in the guest bedroom – no matter how old (or young) your mattress actually is – you'll want to seriously consider ending the relationship ASAP.

Visit a Mattress Firm location or meet with one of our Mattress Firm employees to see if it might be time to upgrade your bed and start sleeping better.